Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate EpidemicDreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
Score Modern
What it's about
Sam Quinones tells the story of how America's opioid epidemic began, through two parallel histories. One is about the pharmaceutical industry, especially Purdue Pharma, which marketed the painkiller OxyContin as safe and created millions of addicts. The other is about the Xalisco Boys, a network of heroin dealers from a small town in Mexico, who delivered cheap heroin like pizza to the towns OxyContin had hooked, from Portsmouth, Ohio, to Charlotte and Salt Lake City.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was one of the first books to explain the epidemic. It's investigative journalism at its best.
You'll love it if you liked
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the BronxGood to know
It includes overdose deaths, and it moves back and forth between its many threads.
By the numbers
- Readers84 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #263 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #520 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
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Quick answers
Is Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was one of the first books to explain the epidemic. It ranks #520 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic about?
Sam Quinones tells the story of how America's opioid epidemic began, through two parallel histories. One is about the pharmaceutical industry, especially Purdue Pharma, which marketed the painkiller OxyContin as safe and created millions of addicts. The other is about the Xalisco Boys, a network of heroin dealers from a small town in Mexico, who delivered cheap heroin like pizza to the towns OxyContin had hooked, from Portsmouth, Ohio, to Charlotte and Salt Lake City.
How long does it take to read Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic?
About 10 hours (401 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic won?
NBCC Award (Nonfiction) winner (2015).
What should I read after Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic?
If you liked it, try Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond or Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc.